MacRumors

Not to be outdone by Samsung, Chinese smartphone company Huawei today unveiled its own foldable smartphone at Mobile World Congress, the Huawei Mate X.

The Mate X uses what Huawei calls a "Falcon Wing" design with a stretchable hinge that allows the smartphone to transform from a 6.6-inch OLED smartphone to an 8-inch OLED tablet, making it bigger than Samsung's recently introduced Galaxy Fold.

Huawei designed the Mate X to fold in the opposite direction of Samsung's Galaxy Fold, so the display is visible on both the front and back of the device when collapsed down to smartphone view. The "wing" at the side houses the camera and allows the Mate X display to be notch free.

When folded, it measures in at 11mm thick, but when open, the device is just 5.4mm thick. There's a multi-lens Leica camera included, and the design of the Mate X allows for the front and rear cameras to use the one camera system for selfies and rear-facing images of the same quality.

The Leica camera system includes a 40-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 16-megapixel ultra wide angle lens, and an 8 megapixel telephoto lens. There's also a fourth camera that will be activated later.

Like Samsung, Huawei plans to focus on multitasking, allowing the Mate X to be used split screen. Samsung has developed an App Continuity feature that keeps the same app open regardless of whether its Galaxy Fold is open or closed, and Huawei could be planning something similar.

Huawei is equipping the Mate X with a 5G modem, which will allow it to connect with 5G networks for futureproofing purposes. Samsung's Galaxy Fold also offers a 5G option.

A fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power switch for biometric authentication purposes, and Huawei says that the Mate X features a 55W SuperCharge feature that lets the included 4,500mAh battery charge to 85 percent within 30 minutes.

While the Galaxy Fold will be available in late April, Huawei's version won't go on sale until June or July. It's not clear if the Mate X will be available in the United States, but it is unlikely given Huawei's conflicts with the U.S. government.

There have been some rumors suggesting that Apple is exploring folding screen technology, and that multiple folding smartphones are coming to the market likely means this is something that the Cupertino company is looking into, but right now there are no rumors indicating Apple plans to actually release a foldable smartphone in the near future. It's not yet clear if the foldable smartphone trend will catch on and dictate the future of the smartphone industry or if it's a fad that will disappear a few years down the road.

Apple today shared another humorous ad promoting Depth Control on the iPhone XS, ‌iPhone‌ XS Max, and ‌iPhone‌ XR.

In the ad, a couple return home after spending the day out and get in bed. The man shows the woman a photo he took of her, and the woman then points out her coworker Alejandro in the background and says he is so funny. The man, who appears to be jealous, uses Depth Control to blur out Alejandro's face.

Former Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, and if he were still alive, today would mark his 64th birthday.

Jobs not only founded Apple alongside Steve Wozniak in 1976 and directed the development of some of the first personal computers, but he also brought Apple back from the brink of failure even after being ousted from the company he created.

In the 2000–2010s, Jobs was responsible for not only saving Apple, but then building it into one of the largest companies in the world. The introduction of the iPod in 2001 and iPhone in 2007 represented industry-changing products that have sold hundreds of millions of units.

Steve Jobs passed away on October 5, 2011, at the age of 56. Jobs had been suffering with complications related to pancreatic cancer in the years leading up to his death. Jobs has obviously affected the world with his contributions to Apple, and his death impacted us all. The article of his passing cites many reactions and photos from around the world.

Coincidentally, MacRumors shares the same birthday as Steve Jobs and was created on February 24, 2000. Today, the site turns 19 years old, and we are grateful for our dedicated readers, community members, and volunteers.

Update: Apple CEO Tim Cook has shared a tweet reflecting on how Steve Jobs would have loved Apple Park, the campus Jobs conceptualized before he passed away.

Android smartphone manufacturer Oppo has introduced a 10x optical zoom camera system that is said to be shipping in the spring. Engadget describes the system:

This will still be enabled by a triple-camera module, but now we know that from top to bottom, it'll start with a 48-megapixel high-resolution main camera, followed by a 120-degree ultra-wide camera and a stealthy periscopic telephoto camera. Together, these cameras cover a range of 16mm to 160mm, hence the 10x zoom rating.

Both the main camera and zoom camera come with optical image stabilization, and the phone interpolates between fixed zoom settings to provide continuous "optical" zoom from 1x to 10x.

Oppo allowed hands on time with prototypes of the device with early software. GSMArena and PCWorld provide some sample zoom shots from ultra-wide to 10x zoom.

Beyond the presence of the three cameras, the exact advantages to Apple's new system has not been fully articulated. The most concrete features described of the new camera system came from Bloomberg:

A third camera on the back of the 2019 iPhone will help the device capture a larger field of view and enable a wider range of zoom. It will also capture more pixels so Apple software could, for example, automatically repair a video or photo to fit in a subject that may have been accidentally cut off from the initial shot, according to the people familiar with the plans.

Apple's next generation 2019 iPhones are expected to launch this fall.

Reuters reports that Intel has confirmed it does not expect its 5G chips to be in consumer products until 2020.

Intel Corp executives said on Friday its 5G modem chips will not appear in mobile phones until 2020, raising the possibility its biggest customer, Apple Inc, will be more than a year behind rivals in delivering a device that uses the faster networks.

Intel's timeline is tied closely with Apple's product plans due to Apple's reliance on Intel chips for its iPhone modems. Previously a Qualcomm customer, Apple has been at odds with Qualcomm due to an ongoing legal battle between the two companies. In fact, Qualcomm has been reportedly unwilling to sell its chips to Apple because of the conflict.

That has left Apple reliant on Intel for its modem chips in the latest line of iPhones, though Apple has been exploring other vendors, and even working to develop its own chips. That plan, however, isn't expected to produce results until 2021, at least.

Apple waiting until 2020 to deliver 5G iPhones doesn't come as a surprise as previous rumors have said the same. This statement by Intel, however, does seem to confirm some of those previous rumors.

Apple's VP of Health Dr. Sumbul Desai recently sat down for an interview with MobiHealthNews where she discussed Apple's health products, the company's relationship with the FDA, the success of the ECG feature on the Apple Watch, and more.

On the topic of Apple's relationship with the FDA, Desai said that while Apple has a "good" relationship with the FDA, the FDA asked "hard questions" about the ECG feature in the Apple Watch, which received De Novo clearance in the U.S. ahead of its release.

Apple gets no special treatment from the FDA and undergoes the same scrutiny any other company does.

With regards to the FDA, we have been working with them for years and we have developed a relationship. ... So we have a good relationship with the FDA. However, they held us to task. I mean, they asked us really hard questions and, given the size and impact we had, were very critical of our products and making sure that we're doing the right thing and thinking about the user first and the customer's safety first -- which they should do.

On the ECG feature, which was added in the Apple Watch Series 4 and is available in the U.S., Desai said that customer stories "have been amazing." Cook has gotten a "number of letters" from people who were able to detect atrial fibrillation and get help earlier than they might have otherwise been able to.

Response from doctors has also been "pretty decent," but cardiologists are still working on the best way to handle that kind of data coming from patients.

In response to a question about ECG and another new health feature, fall detection, being targeted to an older demographic that may not own the Apple Watch, but Desai says that these features can help everyone.

With regards to fall detection, I know that was the immediate place that people took it, but if you look at the stats, falls are one of the most common reasons for people to go into the emergency room across all age groups. So you can imagine, and this has happened to me, going up on your step stool to try to get some flour or sugar, no matter what age group you're in, and having a fall. And that happens. And so we really built fall detection for everyone.

Atrial fibrillation is also a condition that "affects everybody," and Apple has received positive responses from younger people diagnosed with the condition that were able to get help.

Desai says that Apple is "very interested in the health space" and will "continue to do great work" in health. She agreed with Tim Cook's recent statement suggesting health is the area where Apple may ultimately have the greatest impact on mankind. Apple has a lot to share in the future, says Desai, and is still "in the first inning."

We think health is an area where we can have incredible impact and meaningful impact. And how do you not work in a space, at the scale that we're at, and not have impact? So that is what drives us. What drives us is hearing from our customers that we've had an impact in terms of their health and we've really moved towards thinking about how do we democratize data, health and education, and really democratize being well for everyone.

We're excited about the work we do and there's a lot of exciting things ahead, but we take it day by day. I think Tim has also said that we're in the first inning, and I think we all recognize that as well.

Desai's full interview, which is worth reading for anyone interested in Apple's health initiatives, can be found over at the MobiHealthNews website.

Apple maintains a photography tutorial section on its website for those interested in stepping up their iPhone photography, and it's regularly updated with new videos. Apple also uploads its ‌iPhone‌ tutorial videos to YouTube.

Apple this afternoon shared four new videos on YouTube that will eventually be added to the site, covering shooting with light and shadow, shooting using the rule of thirds, trimming video on an ‌iPhone‌, and shooting a time-lapse video.

Apple has been sharing these ‌iPhone‌ photography tutorials for well over a year, and the site has a collection of videos on capturing different types of photos, best editing practices, taking advantage of environmental factors like lighting, and more.

It's no secret that Facebook is harvesting incredible amounts of data on all of its users (and some that don't even use the service), but what may come as a surprise is just how detailed and intimate some of that data is.

A report from The Wall Street Journal takes a look at some of the apps on iOS that provide data to Facebook, with that info then used for advertising purposes.

Instant Heart Rate: HR Monitor, for example, the most popular heart rate app on iOS, sent a user's heart rate to Facebook right after it was recorded in The Wall Street Journal's testing. Flo Period & Ovulation Tracker, which has 25 million active users, tells Facebook when a user is having a period or is intending to get pregnant.

Realtor.com, meanwhile, provides Facebook with the location and price of listings that a user viewed. With Flo in particular, it says it does not send this kind of sensitive data in its privacy policy, but then goes ahead and does so anyway.

Many of these apps are sending this data without "any prominent or specific disclosure," according to The ‌Wall Street Journal‌'s testing. Facebook collects data from apps even if no Facebook account is used to log in and even if the user isn't a member of Facebook.

Apps are sharing this data to take advantage of Facebook analytics tools that allow them to target their users more precisely with Facebook ads.

Apple does not require apps to disclose all of the partners that they share data with, and while certain personal information can be blocked, like contacts or location, more sensitive data, like health and fitness details, can be readily shared by these apps as there's no option to turn off this kind of data sharing.

Users can turn off Facebook's targeted advertising, but have no way to prevent apps from surreptitiously sending collected data to Facebook in the first place.

Facebook claimed that some of the data sharing The ‌Wall Street Journal‌ uncovered violates its business terms, and has asked these apps to stop sending information app users would consider sensitive.

The ‌Wall Street Journal‌ spoke to an Apple spokesperson, who said its App Store Guidelines require apps to obtain user consent for collecting data.

"When we hear of any developer violating these strict privacy terms and guidelines, we quickly investigate and, if necessary, take immediate action," the company said.

At least 11 out of the 70 apps tested by The ‌Wall Street Journal‌ were sending sensitive user data to Facebook, including six of the top 15 health and fitness apps. There's little end users can do, except for be wary of the apps they're choosing to download. Apple in the future could introduce more stringent guidelines and policy controls that would better put a stop to this kind of intrusive data harvesting.

The Wall Street Journal's full report, which is well worth reading, offers more detail on how it tested these apps and how some of the apps responded.

Apple plans to close both of its retail stores within the Eastern District of Texas in a few months from now in an effort to protect itself from patent trolls, according to five sources familiar with the matter.

Apple Willow Bend in Plano, Texas and Apple Stonebriar in Frisco, Texas, both located in the northern suburbs of Dallas, are expected to permanently close in mid April. One source said each store's final day of business will be Friday, April 12. Employees were briefed about the plans earlier this week.

To continue to serve the region, Apple plans to open a new store at the Galleria Dallas shopping mall in Dallas, just outside the Eastern District of Texas border. One source said the store will open Saturday, April 13.

Residency is also a factor in determining the applicable venue of a patent infringement lawsuit, but in May 2017, the Supreme Court shifted precedent by ruling that a U.S. corporation resides only in its state of incorporation. Apple is incorporated in California, not Texas, satisfying this clause.

The Eastern District of Texas has been a hotbed for patent litigation over the past few decades due to well-established rules for patent infringement cases, experienced judges, lower probability of cases being transferred to another district, and quicker jury verdicts, according to a SMU Dedman School of Law paper.

Patent infringement lawsuits against Apple will likely shift to U.S. district courts in Northern California and Delaware.

Fortunately, we're hearing that the plans, while inconvenient, are not too detrimental for employees. One source said Apple has offered employees opportunities to transfer to other stores, work from home for AppleCare, or severance to those who are not interested in working at another Apple location.

Apple has yet to publicly announce the plans. We reached out to Apple for comment late Thursday but have yet to hear back.

Update: Apple has confirmed the impending store closures in a statement issued to TechCrunch:

We're making a major investment in our stores in Texas, including significant upgrades to NorthPark Center, Southlake and Knox Street. With a new Dallas store coming to the Dallas Galleria this April, we've made the decision to consolidate stores and close Apple Stonebriar and Apple Willow Bend. All employees from those stores will be offered positions at the new Dallas store or other Apple locations.

Apple did not provide a specific reason for the store closures beyond consolidation.

Apple chipmaker TSMC will miniaturize its fabrication process to 5 nanometers in a bid to secure orders for Apple's processors in its 2020 iPhones, according to industry sources cited in a DigiTimes report.

TSMC recently confirmed that it plans to invest $25 billion towards volume production of 5nm chips by 2020, and today's report backs expectations that those chips are likely headed for Apple's smartphones next year.

Despite its dim business and industry outlook this year, TSMC claimed it is making progress in the development of sub-7nm process technologies with plans to move a newer 5nm EUV process to volume production by 2020 well on track.

Previous successes in miniaturization have seen TSMC remain Apple's exclusive supplier of A-series chips for the last three years, beginning with the A10 Fusion chip in the iPhone 7/7 Plus, and continuing with the A11 Bionic chip in the ‌iPhone‌ 8/8 Plus and ‌iPhone‌ X, and the A12 Bionic in the ‌iPhone‌ XR/XS/XS Max.

The A10 Fusion chip is 16nm, the A11 Bionic is 10nm, and the A12 is a 7nm chip. The "A13" chip destined for this year's iPhones is also based on 7nm technology, but is expected to be the first chip to use extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV), which allows for a more microscopic chip layering process.

The Taiwanese manufacturer has been gradually shrinking the size of its dies for several years now, allowing it to offer packages that are widely considered to be superior to that of other chipmakers, including Samsung and Intel.

End users can expect Apple's mobile chip designs and TSMC's continued packaging advancements to improve performance, battery life, and thermal management in future iPhones.

Adobe has released an update for Adobe Premiere Pro via the Creative Cloud app to resolve an audio issue that left some users with blown-out MacBook Pro speakers.

Earlier this month, we reported on an issue affecting a significant number of Premiere Pro users whereby the software suddenly caused loud, distorted audio to play through their ‌MacBook Pro‌ speakers, resulting in permanent damage. In many cases, the issue arose when users were editing the audio settings of video clips.

Adobe initially advised at least one customer to try disabling the ‌MacBook Pro‌'s microphone in Premiere Pro by selecting No Input under Preferences > Audio Hardware > Default Input, but the issue persisted for some users.

On February 19 Adobe told users on its community support forum that it was "aware of the issue" and "was working on a solution that will help users mitigate risk." This issue has now apparently been resolved in a version 13.0.3 update pushed to Premiere Pro users today via the Creative Cloud app. From the release notes:

Fixed issues with Premiere Pro that reduce noise interaction and help minimize possible impact.

While Adobe is urging all users to update their software, there's still no word on how affected users might be recompensed following damage to their Macs.

As a result of the bug, one user took his ‌MacBook Pro‌ to the Genius Bar at an Apple Store in Canada and was given $600-plus repair quote for his 2018 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌. The price is so high because Apple has to replace the entire top case assembly containing the speakers, keyboard, trackpad, and battery.

We reached out to both Adobe and Apple for comment on the issue earlier this month but have yet to hear back. We'll update this article if we hear more.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is set to deliver Stanford's 2019 commencement speech on Sunday, June 16, the university announced today.

Stanford chose Cook because he has been a "prominent voice on ethics in technologies and businesses," with insights into the challenges facing corporations and society today.

According to Stanford, the issues that Cook has raised "dovetail" with the Stanford "Our Vision" planning process which advocates for research on the social and ethical impact of advances in science and tech and makes sure students have the tools to "address societal and ethical impacts of science and technology."

"Tim Cook has spoken forcefully of the challenges and responsibilities confronting corporations and our society today," said Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne. "In tackling these, he has led with vision and values - qualities that reflect the culture of our Stanford community, and that are top-of-mind for our students and our country. Tim was a natural choice to challenge and encourage our graduates as they leave our campus and find their own paths in the world."

Cook said that he was honored to be invited to deliver the commencement address at Stanford.

"It's an honor to have been invited by Stanford's students and faculty, and I look forward to deepening the remarkable relationship that Stanford and Apple have built together over many years," Cook said. "We share so much more than geography. The passion, interests and creativity our institutions have in common have helped to revolutionize technology and reshape the world, and I can't wait to join graduates, as well as their family and friends, in celebrating the even brighter possibilities of the future."

Cook will also be delivering the keynote address to Tulane graduates at the university's 2019 commencement event, which is set to take place on May 18.

In the past, Cook has given commencement addresses at several universities, including his alma mater Auburn University, Duke University, George Washington University, and MIT.

You may or may not know this, but there's a feature in Safari that's designed to let you select a portion of text and send it to a friend over Messages using the Share feature in Safari.

When researching one of our tips videos, we came across this handy trick, but soon discovered that there's another aspect to it -- one that you can use to create fake website headlines that can be sent to your friends and family.

Here are the specific steps to follow to create a fake website title:

1. Go to a website with a search function, such as MacRumors.com.
2. Make sure your iPhone is in landscape mode.
3. Tap on the search bar.
4. Enter your text and then select it.
5. Tap on the Share icon next to the address bar.
6. Select Messages and then type in the name of the person who you want to prank.

From there, the person will see the fake website header that you created, but it will look like text from the website itself because the text isn't sent separately due to the rich text feature in Messages.

This pretty much only works ‌iPhone‌ to ‌iPhone‌ and won't work if you're sending messages to your friends on Android devices. You can use this trick on the iPad too, but it doesn't work on the Mac.

If you want to use the feature as Apple intended you to do, you can select a bit of text on a website and then send it to a friend to highlight something specific that's worth pointing out. Like in our AirPods roundup, if you wanted to highlight the bit about a new color, you could select it and share the page with this text visible in the link.

It's actually a useful feature that's great for pointing out specific passages in blogs, news articles, and more.

We're pretty sure selecting search text through this feature and sending it over Messages is a bug that Apple will fix at some point, but in the meantime you can have a bit of fun with it and send unique website headlines to friends and family.